(technical) support
by yadon
Summary: Aura finds herself at a loss, with no idea how to help the woman she loves when it comes to raising a daughter with unique, complex issues. But even though she doesn't have a solution, Aura does have a dorky little brother. [aurametis, blackquill sibs; t for language cuz Aura loves to swear.]


Aura Blackquill prided herself on not just fixing things, but improving them.

It had been that way for as long as she could fit a tool into her hand. From messing with the cable box and picking up channels her parent did _ _not__ approve of eight-year-old Aura watching, to jiggering around with little Simon's Speak n' Spell so that it repeated back a basic collection of Japanese words (well, maybe she wasn't as proud of that accomplishment, with how her brain was now permanently imprinted with its digital voice repeating the Japanese word for hawk __over and over and over__ again), to just last week when Terran had joked about how Cosmos would be thrilled if his beloved segway could take him into space as easily as a rocket.

Okay, okay. So she'd just managed to make it rumble, accompanied by a "launch sequence, activated" in her own voice. No sending Cosmos to the cosmos __quite__ yet.

That project had been thrown into the never-ending mountain of other works in progress, all in favor of an immediate request brought to her by Metis—not that __any__ request from Metis wasn't something Aura considered urgent.

Could Aura do __anything__ to improve Athena's headphones?

Making alterations to Athena's headphones meant, in many ways, changing Athena herself. Is that what Metis __really__ wanted?

Such an uncharacteristically pressing demand, with Metis not even specifying __what__ she wanted; the vagueness of simply asking Aura to "improve" the headphones—it wasn't the Metis that Aura knew, that she __liked__. There was a desperation to it. A fear, if Aura declined. And because of the Metis that Aura knew, and liked, she said yes to this anxious, fearful one.

Aura sighed heavily and cursed her pliers as her third attempt to replace the blue wire with one made of a more durable alloy, one that wouldn't splice as easily as this one clearly had, failed. She couldn't even predict these improvements would truly __help__ , not the way Metis wanted, anyway. All she could do was tinker with the headphones, ensure they were installed with the latest and greatest materials by one of the most skilled hands in robotic technology today: her.

But that didn't mean Metis's standards would be met. Aura liked the challenge, of always trying to impress Metis, but in this case, it would be enough to simply not let her down.

She rubbed at her eyes, not realizing how tired she truly was until a yawn fought its way out. She'd pulled all-nighters before, but that was in college, or here __talking__ with Metis about their various ideas. Not in the midst of operating on what she considered one of her most outstanding creations to date, not to mention one of the most delicate.

Aura knew if she were an outsider in this—that is, if she were to walk in and see someone of her level of exhaustion futzing with the headphones—she would chew them out in a heartbeat.

"Take a fucking break, Blackquill," she muttered to herself. "You have tomorrow."

The second the words were out of her mouth, she groaned. Shit, she __didn't__ have tomorrow. Or, if she did, it wouldn't be until later in the day. She'd promised Simon she'd meet up at his college; the little nerd wanted to treat her to lunch up near campus. He said it was an early birthday treat to her, but __she__ suspected it was because he missed her. She missed him too—or, she missed teasing him, face-to-face. It wasn't the same via text messages.

And if she didn't visit him, then who would? Good luck with Dad setting aside five minutes to call Simon, see how he was doing, with how much work had him traveling across the country. A visit was out of the question.

Ugh, why did she have to be so fucking __loyal__ , a complete __sucker__ for Simon? Such an amazing sister, so giving of her time, when she could have told him to just spend Saturday like he always did: holed up in his dorm and studying with one of his dumbass animes on in the background. __All damn day__ , because his geek level was, to quote one of his favorite shows, "over nine thousand!"

 _ _Like your thing for Metis.__

"Shut the fuck up," she growled to her inner monologue, slamming her screwdriver down in frustration. The completely __wrong__ screwdriver. How could she make such an amateur mistake, selecting the Phillips-head instead of the flathead?

Okay, no, she was just digging herself into a hole. Even without the new blue wire, the headphones were worth showing Metis. Of course, Aura wouldn't say she was __done—__ she'd get to that blue wire tomorrow, first thing when she arrived at GYAXA—but she could at least give Metis a progress report. There was titanium plating she'd fixed into the speaker shell, similar to what she'd used in the visual sensors on the latest update to CLONCO.

It was a start.

* * *

Clicking off the overhead lamp and shoving up from her work table, Aura made her way to Metis's lab, headphones in hand. Her fatigue melted away, replaced by a flood of concern when she was met with a dark, empty room.

This was... strange. Not that Aura often stayed at GYAXA __this__ late (and not that she hadn't __wanted__ to), but when she got the chance to, Metis would always be here, in her lab. Poring over their work or carefully polishing one of the swords decorating the wall, or even reading what Aura was sure was one of many textbooks, but for leisure. And always, the little princess would be there too, scribbling in what had to be an endless supply of coloring books.

Aura backed away, wondering what to do now. __Look for her__ , came her conscience's immediate reply. But if Metis wasn't around, it was for a reason. Like her daughter, Metis Cykes could get __overwhelmed—__ not by sound, just by... well, life. It was a sad irony, Aura had thought more than once, how Metis truly __enjoyed__ people, but found herself depleted by them on an almost daily basis. Whereas Aura, who held very little esteem for humans as a whole, had discovered ( _ _especially__ thanks to Terran and Justice) that she could tolerate them quite well—if the frequent sarcastic quip counted as tolerating.

(Although, while robots were still __better__ , Metis Cykes gave her a little more faith in the human race.)

She stared down at the headphones, contemplating what to do next. If she just returned to her work table and set the headphones aside, would Metis take it to mean they were finished? Or, even worse, that Aura had __given__ up?

She didn't want Metis—Athena, really—to have them, not yet, not __unfinished__. No, Aura was determined to make this upgrade her greatest yet. But that wasn't possible if Step One of the process wasn't met with ringing approval.

Fucking... __God__. Since when had she ever been worried about anyone's __approval__?

Aura looked down the vacant, seemingly endless, hallway. Somewhere beyond it was Metis Cykes, and whether or not she was waiting for Aura tonight was an entirely different question.

Either way, Aura wasn't going to leave without an answer.

Aura's thoughts drifted dangerously into __daydreaming__ territory, as she wandered to the opposite wing of the Space Center, where Metis and Athena lived.

Because it __was__ the stuff of her dreams, her and Metis here at GYAXA, alone after hours.

Athena was around, sure, but the kid had to be asleep by now, all tuckered out from yet another emotionally draining day at school.

Aura couldn't find a precise term for what she felt towards Athena, this twisted mix of pity, of protectiveness, of impatience, of __guilt.__ Just so much, __too__ much, because of how often it caused her to reflect on Simon as a child. Which was distracting, in the most discomforting way possible, when she had a job to do—and a hopeless crush on the kid's mother.

But what exactly was she hoping would happen when she found the princess's mom—her __queen__? That they'd find themselves in a room dimly lit, fall into a quiet, thoughtful, __intimate__ discussion? And Metis would praise Aura's keen eye, her skill with all things mechanical, by touching her arm in a fond manner? Then... Metis Cykes, who was __subtle__ , not at all demonstrative, might give that arm a tender squeeze. Might grace her with a soft smile when Aura reacted favorably, pulling her arm slightly to bring Metis closer.

And then... Maybe she'd... maybe __they__...

Okay, __no__! Abort, abort! So often she bragged to Simon about her ability—no, her __talent__ —to turn the straight girls, but that was when it was all fun and games, a quick hook-up needed to bust a slump.

Not Metis. Metis was different. __So__ different, and everyone knew it. And Aura __loved__ it. But she wasn't going to just... __invite__ herself into Metis's personal bubble. She wanted that offer extended to her, would probably cry like a pathetic wuss if it ever happened, because of how much it, and Metis, meant to her.

For being the world's biggest lesbian, how could she be so incredibly __bad__ at it, where Metis was concerned?

Speaking of being a card-carrying lesbian, she really could have used a nice, thick flannel shirt right about now. These hallways could get __frigid__ at night, all the machines generating heat throughout the day having long since been deactivated.

Luckily, Athena's room was always nice and warm, and she could make out its door, at the end of the hall. Metis's room was attached to it and, much like a hotel suite, inaccessible through the hallway.

A narrow strip of light from under a different door, one nearing her on the left side, reeled Aura's attention away. It was the last room before Athena's; the bathroom. Kid probably just left the light on.

Just as Aura touched the handle to open the door, reach inside to shut the light off, a noise stopped her. At least, she __thought__ she heard some... some _ _thing__? Or someone. It sounded... __wet__ , muffled. Nothing associated with anything that should go on in a bathroom, though.

She stood stock still, waiting. Listening. And then...

Again. There it was, __again__ , and too quickly, the memories flashed back to her. She knew __exactly__ what the sound was, from so many instances of Simon locking himself in his room, telling Aura to __leave me alone!__ and that he __wasn't crying__!

Followed by—he'd try to mute it with a pillow, but nine times out of ten, she'd hear it—a steady, heart-breaking stream of shameless sobbing.

She wondered if her shadow was visible through the crack in the door, and then realized it didn't matter. If Athena was busy bawling her eyes out, she wasn't gonna notice.

Aura turned the knob slowly, inched the door open. "Hey Athena, what..."

 _ _the fuck is your mom doing crying on the edge of the bathtub?__

Aura nearly threw the headphones aside but stopped herself in time to set them on the counter, as far from the sink as possible. She sank to her knees in front of Metis, overcome with the compulsion to __hug__ her—and Aura was not a hugging person. Instead, she settled for resting her hands on Metis's knees, which were covered by a silk, floral-print kimono.

A terry washcloth was pressed to Metis's mouth, damp with tears and mucus. The wastebin had been pulled away from its spot by the sink, to within arm's reach of Metis, and was layered with wadded-up toilet paper that had served as tissues. The roll was on the floor and now blocked by Aura, but she snatched it up, tore off two squares, and traded them for the washcloth.

"What happened?" She asked as Metis blew her nose. "Whose ass am I kicking?"

She wasn't trying to be funny in the least, but Metis choked out a laugh. "I thought you'd have gone home by now." A glance towards the headphones amended her statement. "Oh, but... of course. Still, Aura, you should go home. It's late."

"What's __going on__ , Metis?" Well, it was way too obvious __what__ was going on, between the headphones and now __this__. "What happened to Athena?"

Metis tossed the balled-up toilet paper towards the trash bin. She missed. "The same as usual: she's having trouble at school."

Aura blurted out the first solution that came to mind. "I'll tutor her! I mean... at least with science and math, I could—"

"No, not with her grades. She's so smart." Metis cracked a smile, a hiccup falling from it as she swallowed a sob. "It's... what it __always__ is. The other children. The names they call her, Aura, it's horrifying. After school today, Juniper told me, privately, that Athena had hid in the bathroom all during recess. Because this morning one little boy said to her that her photo should be in the dictionary next to 'birth defect'..."

 _ _Simon, the same age as the princess now, cradled in a tight hug and crying, telling me some older boys had mocked him nonstop over his new Sailor Jupiter keychain. The one I gave him.__

Aura's nails almost tore through the washcloth, as her fingers curled like claws into Metis's knees. "Did you get the names of those little shitstains? I swear, I'll—"

"Aura, __beating them__ is not the answer. They are likely already suffering, and taking it out on Athena, because she is an easy target."

"That's not an excuse, Metis! Kids can be fucking pricks, who turn into __adults__ who are fucking pricks! They wouldn't act so tough if they knew there were consequences, or—"

Metis held up a hand to stop Aura's rant. "Aura, it's not the other children to blame. It's me."

The resignation in her voice almost brought Aura to tears herself. "What the __fuck__? No, no fucking way."

"She hates __me__ , Aura. Because it's my fault she..." Metis paused, a fresh stream of tears trickling down her cheeks. "If only I didn't... __have these problems__ , and now she... she has them too. And she hates me for it. And she __should__. I was selfish, wanted a child, when I could barely take care of myself and... now she's paying for it. I just want to love her, make her realize she's __special__ , in a good way, but... I can't. She has every __right__ to hate me."

"She doesn't hate you," Aura said instantly. "Athena... she doesn't __hate__ anybody. I don't think she even knows what hate is."

"It's what she said, Aura. Before I put her to bed, I tried to talk about... about what Juniper told me, and just everything, and... it's __my__ fault, Aura. She told me that. That I'm a horrible mommy. She's so... in tune with her feelings, and besides, Athena doesn't know how to lie. It must be true."

Aura tried to imagine Athena... little Athena, so timid and pure, coming undone and screaming those words at her mother. But... if it'd been a long time coming—if today's incident had simply been the final straw—then it __wasn't__ unbelievable.

She knew that much from the hole Simon had put in her bedroom wall after an explosive argument between them.

Aura had been pissed that her first day home on winter break involved picking him up from in-school suspension, and he'd erupted at her, accusing her of being just as self-involved as their dad.

 _ _Both our parents__ , she'd corrected him snidely, referring to their estranged mother, who Simon missed terribly, and who they hadn't seen in almost a decade. __Clearly__ , she'd pointed out to Simon, __we know who she passed her fucking lunacy to__.

Simon had responded by picking up one of the tools left scattered on her desk, a wrench, and flinging it at Aura like it was a fucking shuriken.

Aura swallowed, shaking the image from her head. Athena was hurting just as much as, if not more than, Simon had been. Aura hadn't been knowledgable enough at the time, to help. Not __truly__ , anyway. She'd __thought__ telling Simon to toughen up, to grow a fucking pair and stand up to the scumbags who treated him like shit was helpful enough.

But he needed help __beyond__ a sister who was willing to crack skulls, and thankfully he was seeing someone at the university every couple weeks. Athena, on the other hand... and __Metis__ , for that matter...

"If only I weren't... so incapable," Metis muttered to herself. "I just want to give Athena a normal life."

"No!" Aura couldn't handle the despair in Metis's voice. As if this were the last remaining option. "Fuck _ _normal__ ; Athena's not, and __you're__ not, and—"

"We're __ab__ normal?" Metis asked dryly. "I know, Aura. I'm reminded of it every day."

"No. You're fucking incredible, Metis. And so is she." Aura grabbed the toilet tissue again to rip off a couple fresh squares. Instead of passing them to Metis, she took it upon herself to wipe the tears away. This wasn't new for her, this role. But the weight inside her, as she drew the toilet tissue along Metis's cheeks, being this close to her and practically __feeling__ the heartache draining out from her.

She'd had a crush on Metis for so long, __cared__ about her even longer, but this... this was brand new, so much fucking __more__. Not just with Metis, but... anyone, ever.

Aura threw the toilet paper away, rearranged herself on the floor so that she was sitting cross-legged instead of kneeling against Metis's lap. Goddammit, now __she__ was the one with tears burning at her eyes, with a lump rising in her throat.

"Look, I'm not trying to make it sound like it's some, y'know, __gift__ that you and Athena have to deal with this shit. It's not like that at all; it's a burden most days, if not every day. I'm just trying to say that... you're stronger than you give yourself credit for, and it's made Athena strong too."

"I feel __powerless__ , Aura. Not strong. I struggle so much with myself that I can't... __do__ anything for Athena. I can't be a good mother."

"I know you struggle," Aura acknowledged. "Me telling you any of this shit doesn't really help too much, does it? I mean it, I really do __mean__ it, but... it's not what you really need. I wish I could just... fix it! God, Metis, I hate... I can't stand seeing you like this, thinking of Athena going through that fucking torture. I just..."

"You just want to help, I know. And you have."

She hated how __clean__ Metis wanted to make it seem, wrapping it up so simply. This was so messy, on so many levels. But that Metis had spoken about it at all, Aura supposed, was a victory. Still, she couldn't let it rest. "It's not what you __need__ , though. You know that."

"No, I suppose not," whispered Metis, looking down at Aura as Aura looked back up at her. For a few moments, they simply held each other's gaze. Aura was forever grateful that Athena __wasn't__ with them, because she would know, would pick up the sounds of her heart in an instant.

 _ _I'm so fucking in love with you.__

"I don't mean to suck at this so much." It was the only way Aura knew how to apologize, but it hardly seemed enough.

"You don't 'suck' at this, Aura. You care. Very deeply."

"Yeah, whoopedy-fucking-do. What did that accomplish?"

"I've stopped crying, for one. And I honestly do feel better, in comparison to before you came by." Metis stood, gathered up the stray tissue, and moved the waste bin back to its original location. She lowered her voice, speaking carefully, almost as if she feared offending Aura—no small feat. "I don't need for you to solve everything, Aura."

Aura was glad they weren't looking at each other—she knew she must appear far more angry than she was, even though she was finally beginning to calm down. "Well, __I__ need me to solve everything. Especially when... with you, Metis."

"But it's not for you to solve. __I'm__ the one who can't put words to what I'm feeling, who can't... properly show my own daughter how much I care. You can't do it for me." The trickle of running water filled the bathroom; the sink.

Still seated, Aura spun herself to face Metis. When she was done rinsing her face off, Aura said, "Hey, but you did a bang-up job of telling me just now."

"Yes, when I was overcome with... emotion. Very ugly ones." Metis crossed to where her bath towel hung, and patted her face dry. "Not my finest moment."

Finally, Aura got to her feet. She meant to hug Metis, but chickened out at the last minute and instead crossed her arms at her chest. "No, but... I don't mind it. Even though I can't do much. Any moment, fine or otherwise, you can..."

 _ _Talk to me__. The words wanted to come out, but Metis had been so open and vulnerable with her, that Aura didn't feel right lying to her in return. She was __not__ the person Metis needed to talk to. As much as she cared, she was totally unqualified to provide the sort of assistance Metis, and Athena, required.

It was Simon all over again.

"Aura?" Metis's even voice drifted towards her, as did her slender hand, that fell on Aura's arm.

"Yeah?!" Aura slammed back to reality, grasping desperately for an excuse. "Sorry, I just... thought of the finishing touch I needed to put on Athena's headphones. They're um... I made a few improvements tonight, that's what I wanted to show you, and... well, if you can get them on her tomorrow, before I come, that'd be great, but if she's still in a mood, just wait until I arrive. Her and I can have a little one-on-one and I can... try and get to the bottom of what happened."

So it was a __bit__ of a lie, Aura having already decided what final steps needed to be taken; namely, the blue wire. But for as much as it'd been an off-the-cuff response, it didn't sound half-bad, spending some quality time with the princess. Maybe convince her to apologize to her mommy for saying something so hurtful, and teach her a little something about standing up for herself.

"You..." Just as Aura had daydreamed up, Metis squeezed her arm in an affectionate manner. "You say you're awful with children, Aura, but you're so kind and loving towards Athena. You're like a second mother to her, do you know that?"

"Oh... um... well, don't let word get out! That I'm like, Mom two-point-oh around here." She couldn't even be successfully witty, when all she wanted to do was scream; Metis was touching her, Metis was __touching her__. "Next thing you know, Terran'll think I'm supposed to teach him to drive."

Metis laughed, in earnest this time, but her hand drew away quickly, shielding the pleasant sound. She always did that, had a __habit__ of covering her mouth whenever she laughed or even smiled enough to show her teeth.

"I won't," she said, after her laughter subsided. "It can be our secret." There was meaning in her words, that she was referring to this night as a whole.

Finally not feeling as though she were pinned in place by Cupid's arrow, Aura stepped closer to the sink, and picked up the headphones. "Here, don't forget these. I'll be back in the afternoon to finish 'em up.

Metis took the headphones, turned them over in her hands. Aura wasn't sure what exactly Metis was searching for, but either she found it, or decided the morning would be a better time to conduct this study. She headed out of the bathroom, with Aura behind her.

Aura put exactly ten seconds of forethought into what she did next—the whole time in which she and Metis walked from the bathroom to Athena's room. She stopped Metis's hand as it landed on the knob of Athena's door, and when Metis blinked at her, surprised, Aura knew it was more than just dissatisfaction, at herself, prompting her to do this.

She couldn't __lose__ Metis the way she had Simon, with the repairs having been made only recently, and quite tediously, at that.

"You don't have to go through this alone, okay? Even doctors can't operate on themselves, ya know?"

"I understand." Metis made to turn the knob, her fingers gliding beneath Aura's, smooth against worn. "Good night, Aura."

"G'night." It came out almost a croak, utterly unattractive and not worthy of the sliver of a smile Metis left her with as she slipped inside.

* * *

"You're tired," Simon commented, after twenty minutes passed and the siblings had done nothing but exchange greetings.

They were seated at a cafe several blocks from campus. It had a real artsy vibe; not something she'd exactly associate with Simon's personality. But the pastry selection was fairly impressive, and Simon had used his free drink from the cafe's punch card on Aura's mocha—he didn't have to do that; she likely wouldn't have for him, and his snobby breakfast tea.

"I had a long night," Aura told him, truthfully. Then lied quite significantly when she added, "Nothing out of the ordinary, at GYAXA."

They fell back into a surprisingly relaxing silence, and Simon ate another piece of his apple fritter—with a fork. He'd cut it up into somewhat equal pieces, and dipped each piece into the blob of whipped cream he'd asked for on the side of his plate.

He was so fucking weird, God.

Well, that was the thing about college life, Aura knew. Embracing your eccentricities, and realizing you were downright __normal__ compared to half the folks you crossed paths with.

Aura's mouth was stuffed full with a huge bite of homemade banana bread when Simon spoke again.

"Aura, I've... something to tell you. I didn't just request for you to visit because of your upcoming birthday. You see, I..." Simon's lips stayed parted, the words seemingly trapped inside. He brought his tea close, drew another sip before continuing, by repeating himself. "I've something to tell you."

"I already know you're gay, Simon. You don't need to give some big dramatic speech about it." Aura shrugged, belatedly reminding herself that if __Metis__ were here, she'd encourage Aura to say something __somewhat__ supportive; not everyone was as open and frank about their sexuality as Aura. "But yay for coming out, I guess?"

"No," said Simon tersely, frowning.

"'No' what?! Whatever, Simon, you're like, lord of the fags." She stuck her tongue out when Simon started to respond, a childish twist in her tone. "What? Takes one to know one."

"That's not-!" Simon slapped his available hand down onto the table. There weren't many other customers in the cafe, but Simon's outburst had attracted their attention. He hunched closer to her, and she could see the fierce pink tint across his cheeks. "No, Aura, that's not what I wish to speak to you about! Can you __please__ quit being such a contrary bint, for once, and __listen__ to me?"

Aura wasn't entirely certain what a bint was. Maybe something akin to another word that started with "bi-", judging by the way Simon was glaring darkly at her.

"Sorry," she said, hoping she sounded like she meant it, as much as she actually did. It wasn't exactly a word she had practice using. "What d'you wanna tell me?"

"Can you give your word, that you will not mock me?" Before Aura could answer, Simon pressed further, with a sharpness only his sister could have taught him. "Because if I wanted someone to dismiss my dreams and aspirations, I could have easily invited our father along, instead."

If Aura's heart hadn't been cracked the night before, it would have now, with the palpable disappointment in Simon's words. It was the absolute most hurtful thing he could say, to compare Aura to their emotionally distant father, but in this instance, it wasn't done out of malice. He was only admitting what he feared might be true—that Aura, already armed with the same savvy regarding craftsmanship, creating something from nothing, was taking after their father in other ways as well.

"Come on, Simon. Don't bring up... look, I'm here to see you, really. I don't wanna talk about Dad, and...I care, you know that."

Seeing her brother's blank expression unchanged, it cut her; as intelligent as he was, he perhaps __didn't__ know that. She reached to his hand, the one holding the tea, and covered his wrist. He flinched lightly at the contact, much like Metis would've, and it made something inside her do the same. Was it really that unnerving, for her to try and show others a little fucking compassion?

"Dammit, I __do__ , okay? I care a whole hell of a lot, so tell me." She squeezed his wrist to accentuate her point, and after staring for a few more seconds, Simon finally told her.

"I've decided to take on a minor in psychology."

Aura let go of his wrist, sat back in her chair. "Um. Alright. Cool?" He invited her all the way out here—she could be on her way to GYAXA now!—to tell her __this__? He couldn't have texted it, or even, told her at winter break.

"Over my first two and a half years, I took several courses, just as electives. It's always interested me, you know, especially since... well, since I had so much personal experience as a patient."

 _ _Now__ Aura was really listening. Simon didn't like to address those years, how difficult they'd been for him, for their whole family. He'd gone from psychologist to psychologist, counselor to counselor, received conflicting diagnoses and took every kind of mood stabilizer available only to be met with minimal success. From what Aura knew, the doc he was seeing here at the university had been the most beneficial one Simon had seen, __ever__ , but him being away from home and from the horrors of public school were likely more of a factor than him simply finding the right match.

"Okay, well..." __Be encouraging!__ "That's great, like... what, you think you wanna be a criminal psychologist or something?"

Using his fork, Simon pushed around the remaining pieces of apple fritter, in and out of the puddle of whipped cream. Aura wasn't sure what he was so deep in thought about; she'd asked a pretty straightforward question, hadn't she?

"No, nothing like that, I just believe..." He glanced at Aura, likely meaning to ensure she was still paying attention to him; her impatience often led to her tuning Simon out, if he didn't answer right away. "There is very little emphasis placed on the psychological part of law. Not just the mental condition of the accused, of the witnesses, but that of the lawyers; the prosecution, the detectives, the judge. I just think that becoming educated—more than simply __interested__ , but truly __informed__ , about psychology could aid me greatly; it could aid __others,__ as well."

Simon continued to explain, that he'd audited more than a handful of trials with his classes, had even participated in his own mock trials, that left him feeling... __wanting,__ for a deeper understanding. Not just of law, of the procedures, but of those __involved__. Yes, law, in and of itself, was a very black-and-white concept; there was right, and wrong; guilty and not-guilty. But when it came to the people—those upholding the law, and those breaking it, that was not, and never would be, the case.

Law textbooks would not teach him a damned thing about the human mind, about the emotions one battled both in daily life and when in the courtroom. Not that becoming more knowledgeable in psychology would result in instant enlightenment, but it would be a foundation for which to build upon.

Aura had never heard him talk like this, so eloquently and passionately, about a subject that wasn't one of his dorky shows or their heritage on Mom's side. And even then, that had been when he was a kid, before he'd faced ridicule and shame for so openly __being himself__. He'd become so reserved, and though still friendly enough on a basic level, was rather distrustful of other people, and the idea of befriending them.

He never talked about classmates, teachers, or even the clubs he was a part of; it was always about school, as if there wasn't anything—any _ _one—__ else in his life. And maybe there wasn't. Maybe he was just staying safe, by making __sure__ there wasn't _ _.__

But this... it was like he __had__ found a friend. He was... __happy__. It was like Metis, in her comfort zone—usually just around Aura—and explaining __why__ they should go about installing new mainframe in the AIs.

Or when Athena had one of her rare "good days" and Metis just __had__ to share.

"When I looked into it a little more, I discovered that it would be entirely possible for me to complete a minor in the field, between this semester and my final full year," Simon went on. "Of course, it'd be a heavier workload than I've ever undertaken before, but it is __possible__."

Simon ate the final bites of his apple fritter, and Aura took the opportunity to give what she hoped was a respectable response.

"Hey, if anyone can do it, you can." __Ugh__ , __swing and a miss.__ But she didn't know what else to say! It was like her brother had undergone a mood transplant right in front of her; it was a lot to take in, this __optimistic__ Simon.

For his part, Simon didn't seem too put off by the banality of her support. "I'm telling you this all, because... of course, you should __know__ , but also, I want to thank you. It's been all your talk of Dr. Cykes, the way you speak so highly of her, that influenced me to pursue this path."

Okay, __what__? "You're thanking __me__?"

"I suppose it'd be more fitting to extend my gratitude toward Dr. Cykes; she's had enough of an effect on you that you've no reservations about sharing your fondness for her." He smirked behind his tea, clearly waiting for her to counter with an acerbic remark.

But she couldn't find one, not when all this talk of Metis only fueled her worry. Only made her reflect on how __useless__ she'd been last night, no matter how Metis wanted to reassure her. She couldn't help Metis, just like she wasn't able to do anything for Simon. Luckily for her, Simon had taken the initiative to succeed on his own, but Metis...?

Aura blinked as the cap of her mocha turned blurry. __Fuck__ , no, she wasn't gonna cry, not here, in front of Simon. And especially not when Simon had shared something monumental, something he was proud of. With __her__.

Forcing herself not to cry left her unable to speak as well, and when several seconds passed with nothing but Aura taking a sip of her mocha, Simon broke the silence. "'And you have no reservations about getting your ass kicked, if you don't shut your mouth.'"

Aura nearly spat out her mocha, but choked it down, and swiped off what had dribbled over her lips. " _ _What__?"

"That is what you were to respond with, or something quite similar. Threatening me to immediately cease from pointing out how Dr. Cykes sends your heart all atwitter, your mind into the same spoony fantasies you would scoff at if anyone else had them."

She opened her mouth, __meaning__ to agree, or to say something even __more__ derisive than what Simon came up with. Nothing __cruel__ , nothing vicious, certainly not what actually came shooting out like a poisoned dart.

"God, just fuck off, Simon!"

Aura shoved to her feet and snatched up her bag. Leaving the last of her mocha and banana bread on the table, she bolted out the front door. Simon, even more confused than she was, called after her, but Aura didn't look back.

Outside was an even __worse__ place to be when on the verge of tears, a sidewalk filled with college kids streaming in both directions. What was this, a fucking parade? Aura stole around to the side of the building, to a cramped alleyway that housed the cafe's dumpster. The ripe stench of garbage reached her and pulled an awful noise from her throat, half-sob, half-gag.

How could she __do__ this, curse at Simon because the past twenty-four hours had been just that: cursed? He didn't __know__ anything about Metis, certainly couldn't have begun to assume there was anything __wrong__ with Metis and Athena and the blissful image Aura had created of life at GYAXA.

She was the older sibling! She should be the one with __answers__ , with some kind of game plan. No, instead, she came all the way out here to hear about how her baby brother apparently had __his__ shit together, no thanks to her. __He__ said it was thanks to her, but, God, he didn't see her last night. Didn't see __un__ helpful she was, when people needed her the most. What did he fucking know?

A lot more than she did.

Folding her arms under her chest, Aura tried to copy what she always heard Terran and Justice shouting when trying to pep talk themselves. She'd constantly rolled her eyes at it, but right now it didn't seem any less stupid than standing here crying next to piles of trash.

"I'm fine..." __No, Aura, you're hopeless with people, even more so with the ones you care about. Wait... No! SHUT UP!__ "I'm... fine!"

"Aura..." Simon had rounded into the alley, and was slowly approaching her.

Her chanting stopped and her eyes squeezed shut. __Leave me alone!__ she screamed mentally, imagining how often Simon must have done the same, when he'd wanted her to leave him be. If she just blocked him out—didn't __see__ him, didn't acknowledge him—he'd go away.

It'd worked on her, back then.

"Aura," he repeated, and he was closer now; his voice was louder, and the sharp scent of that piney body spray he liked to douse himself in grew stronger. "Please, if I've said something to offend you... tell me. I know we... we are not as close as I would like, but, with how our parents have behaved, I would not ever intend to hurt you the way they have us."

Aura wished she hadn't tied her hair back in a low ponytail, so it could fall in front of her face, obstruct her view of Simon even more. Now it would just look pathetic if she untied it, like she was purposely trying to hide behind it. Still, she didn't look at Simon, only down at the ground where their feet were but inches apart.

"I just... I didn't want to talk about Me—... about Dr. Cykes, that's all. Our work, or... at all. You don't know anything about her, so don't... don't say shit like that she __influenced__ you, and especially don't run your mouth about what __I__ think about her." She glanced up at her brother. His eyes were filled with worry, not hard with disapproval. "But I shouldn't have... said that. Don't fuck off, okay?"

"Alright, I won't," he said so stoically that Aura couldn't help but chuckle. "And I apologize as well, for my comment about your... association with Dr. Cykes. But, Aura, sometimes I just don't know how else to speak with you, if not with sarcasm veiling it. You can't fault me for thinking it the most apt way to respond."

"No, it wasn't... you didn't know. You were right, Simon, I was tired. Am. Whatever. A lot of shit happened last night. With Metis. And I thought maybe, after I slept on it, I'd feel better. You know, a new day, a new perspective, all that crap. 'Cept I didn't really sleep, because of it."

"What happened?" Simon demanded. All Aura could hear was her own voice, asking the same of Metis.

"It's nothing; nothing that I can't deal with, anyway. Work should stay at work, right? I'm probably just PMS-ing or something, and letting stuff get to me too much."

"Aura. You do not nearly __cry__ over 'nothing', regardless of what time of month it is."

"Oh, well, maybe I'm just crying because I'm __so__ damn proud of you."

" _ _That__ I believe even less. Now, understand when I say that it was difficult for me to gather enough courage to tell you about my plans, but I'm glad that I did. Aura, I want to be able to speak with you, hold a conversation with you, as any two functioning adults would. So, please, grant me that small favor and __try__ to take a step in that direction. Tell me: what is troubling you?"

Aura gave a huge sniff, smudging her eyeliner as she pushed away tears moistening the edges around it.

"Can't I just keep it all bottled up? You know, let it eat at me and use it to excuse any shitty behavior on my part over the next couple days?"

"If that's that option you choose, then I'm afraid I have no other choice but to..." Simon closed in upon Aura and wrapped her in a warm, secure hug. Her face smushed against his chest and she nearly screamed into it, once at the initial contact and again when he laughed at her reaction.

She struggled in his arms; what happened to the days where she could pick his scrawny ass up and piledrive him? Finally, she managed to pop her head up, and tried to elbow him in the gut. "Simon, get off!" Aura's shout was hardly threatening, with her own wave of laughter carrying out from it.

Simon's hug only tightened, his own words underscored with amusement. "My dear, overworked, lovelorn sister needs a hug, and it would not do for me to ignore her in such a time."

"Shut up, you dickwagon!" Aura twisted and squirmed, and at last, Simon's hold loosened and she slipped out from his embrace.

She looked up at him, failing to fight off a smile of her own when she saw the one he was wearing.

Her memories flashed like a camera bulb, and Aura was sixteen again, and Simon was seven. She was with him at the park near their house, showing him the right way to hold the breadcrumbs so the mama duck and her babies would approach him and eat out of his hand. And after the ducks waddled away, bellies full of breadcrumbs, Simon had looked over at her, with that same smile. Like she was maybe the neatest person—and definitely the best sister—in the world.

"Okay, you win. Fine." With each second that passed, her throat felt less constricted, her heart less heavy. "Buckle in; it's a bumpy ride."

"I would expect nothing less."

Aura poured her guts out, and with surprisingly few tears. It felt like taking an emotional shower, all the grime and grease stuck to her soul being scoured away, left in a dirty heap of tangled words. Right, and the part where she felt emotionally naked, baring herself and __waiting__ for Simon to either cut her off or laugh at her inability to say anything remotely uplifting to Metis.

And Athena... for as much as Aura could gush about Metis, she seldom spoke of Athena. It wasn't anyone's __business__ , and given her condition, Aura defaulted to assuming no one would understand. But Simon knew too well of the horrors Athena had faced... as well as her reactions to it.

"You know..." Simon offered once Aura had finished talking, and told him as much. "When we were younger, I used to... say such things to you, when my frustration at the world would become too unbearable."

"I know you did. I remember." In fact, she probably remembered it even better than Simon did; she didn't doubt that so many of those traumautic experiences, he had willfully blocked out. Or had been too upset at the time to properly recollect them now, even if he __wanted__ to.

"Did you truly believe that I hated you, Aura?"

"No," she answered automatically, but reconsidered when Simon arched an eyebrow skeptically. "Well, shit, I guess I did a __little__. I wouldn't have put it past you; you were an angsty emo teen, and I was your bitchy sister."

"While that much is true, I could not hate you. Not when you've shown me so much loyalty. Do I wish we hadn't as many petty quarrels? Yes, of course. But... I think, for two people who lack interpersonal skills and the proper parental guidance, we did rather well."

What was he getting at? She knew how Simon was; picking a seemingly irrelevant line of reasoning and slowly but surely tying it back to the topic at hand. He could create __any__ two points and find a way to connect them.

But Aura wasn't like that. The negative terminal went in the ****end, the positive in the ** **-**** , and that was that. There weren't any alternatives.

"Well, hooray for us, but that doesn't fucking help Metis."

Simon narrowed his stare at her. Dammit, was he going into prosecutor mode? Or, even __further__ into prosecutor mode?

"Let me confirm: your primary concern is that Dr. Cykes will not see you as a reliable source of support, correct?"

"I don't care what __she__ sees me as, Simon!" Which was bullshit, and Simon was smart enough not to raise any objections as Aura ranted on. "I just... want __something__ , or some _ _one__ , to help her. I want to make it all better for her. And I can't. I couldn't with you, and I can't with Metis. Why do you think I like dealing with robots more than I do people? If I fuck up with a robot, I can just shut it down, dismantle it, not watch it sob its goddamn eyes out in front of me."

For a moment, Aura thought Simon was going to hug her again, but he merely kept his hands shoved in his jacket pockets, and spoke with a remarkable calm.

"But... you see, it was not, and __is__ not your role, to resolve what are __my__ issues. Just as it is not your place to do so for Dr. Cykes and her daughter. Your commitment to them, your encouragement and affection, will help in its own way, as it did for me. As you've said, Aura, people are not machines. They can not be __fixed__. And as such, it is impossible for you to do so, or even for a therapist to do so."

"Yeah, I know... I just... Metis, she—"

"You care greatly for her, is all; there is no explanation needed beyond that. And I think you understand her, and little Athena, far better than you're willing to realize, too. I'm sure if I were to ask Dr. Cykes, she would tell me you've done quite an incredible job of supporting her, despite your assertion otherwise."

Aura gasped aloud, as if someone had told her they'd found life on Mars. She grabbed Simon's arms, alarming him more than if she'd tried to initiate a hug. "Holy shit, you __should__ ask her! Meet her, I mean! Especially with taking the psychology minor, Metis would have all kinds of shit to tell you, and tons of reading material."

"It was hypothetical, Aura. I can't... I'll have classes!"

"Oh, what the fuck ever, Simon. You don't have classes every hour of every day. You could take the two hours you spend jacking off to your waifus each week and spend them at GYAXA instead."

Crimson patches colored Simon's cheeks. "Would you quit being so lewd? You know that, in truth, I would love to. The fact of the matter is, I simply don't want to impose."

Aura released Simon's arms, her hands flying to her mouth to try and cover what she knew was a rather bitchy __Ha__!

"' _ _Impose'__? Are you kidding me? She knows you well enough anyway, from how much I mention you. She'd be thrilled to meet you; Athena, maybe not as much, but you'd at least be a welcome change of pace from all the other Looney Tunes we got runnin' around GYAXA."

 _ _C'mon Simon, why aren't you__ _ _ **excited**__ _ _about this possibility?__ She didn't get how he could stand there, mouth set in a line as if he were concentrating on an exam. This was an opportunity that would set him head and shoulders above the rest of his class—not that he wasn't near the top, already.

"This would not be a substitution for either of us receiving professional treatment, I hope you understand that. You want to help Dr. Cykes, but this... I am not qualified in any sense to... to treat her. Nor the other way around; I'm still required to keep my appointments with Dr. Hill here on campus."

" _ _What__? Oh, Jesus, I know that."

"Mm." Simon was clearly unconvinced, with such a taut hum of a reply.

"Look, I __know__ it's not the same as going to a shrink, for either of you. But you would both benefit from it. Trust me, Simon, you would __get__ her a lot more than I do, and she needs that. I just want to... __do__ something, for her. For you, too."

Aura was about to add in Metis's extensive knowledge of Japanese culture, just to further entice her brother, but there was no need.

"Yes, then. I will meet with her... what is that face you are making? Are you alright?"

The face Aura was making was something close to __grinning like a schoolgirl__. And she couldn't contain that excitement, grabbing Simon's arms and squeezing them tighter than a vice. It wasn't a hug, but it was the closest she could bring herself to giving one. "Hell yeah, I'm alright."

And maybe—thanks to her, or not; it didn't matter—the day would soon come when Simon and Metis could say it too.

* * *

Too bad Aura didn't think to record the tour she gave Simon of GYAXA; she might have captured the first instance of a grown man honest-to-God __swooning__.

Simon was awestruck as he surveyed Metis's lab. The __walls__ , and the swords decorating them, to be exact. He moved closer to a gleaming __tachi__ , his gaping expression reflected in its blade. "You'd never given me the slightest indication that she revered Japanese culture to this degree. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Dunno, probably because she never really talks __about__ her parents' heritage with me; it's not exactly a topic of discussion that comes up." Aura reached a hand to Simon's shoulder; she missed the days she could use his head as an armrest. "But hey, guess what: psychology might be her realm of expertise, but Japanese history isn't far behind. Especially when it comes to the different periods of samurais, and their chosen weaponry. I meant it when I said you two would hit it off."

A week had passed since Simon had agreed to meet with Metis. Aura hadn't said as much to Metis, not in so many words; the last thing she wanted was to put pressure on Metis, with all the hardships she was facing with Athena. No, she'd simply explained that her brother would be accompanying her, and if Metis wanted to meet him, she was more than welcome to.

Metis said that she would be quite interested in doing so, and Aura was amazed at herself for not fainting right there in the middle of the bay, where she would have been run over by a speeding Cosmos segway.

"See, aren't you glad you came along, Mr. 'But-I-don't-want-to- _ _impose__ '?" Aura asked, as Simon studied the intricate __kakejiku__ scroll hanging above Metis's desk.

"Yes, quite. But __you__ sound rather giddy yourself." Simon snuck a sidelong smirk at her. "You know, you say it's all for my own sake, as well as Dr. Cykes's, but I've entertained the thought more than once that you're intending to use me as a wingman."

"Don't flatter yourself, Simon. If you're anything, you're not a wingman; you're a complete twat swat."

"You speak as if you've favorable chances otherwise."

"Shut up, cockmaster. I already told you, this isn't about any __chance__ with her; I'm just trying to make her happy any way I can, even if it involves your stupid ass."

Simon just stared at her blankly for several seconds before saying, simply, "Gay."

"Aura?" A third voice cut into their squabble, just as Aura socked Simon across the arm.

Both Aura and Simon turned. Metis stood in the doorway, watching the two of them with something between bemusement and keen interest.

Aura beckoned for Simon to follow her, and he did so as she approached Metis.

"Hey. Metis, this is my brother, that I told you about." She waved vaguely to Simon. "Simon, say hello to the nice doctor lady."

Simon shot Aura a quick __really__ , __now__? glare before addressing Metis with a short bow.

"It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Cykes..." His eyes flickered bout the room, an indication to the Japanese artifacts in it. "Or perhaps, from what Aura has told me of your genius, it'd be best if I address you as Cykes- _ _san__."

 _ _Oh, holy actual shit, Simon.__ __Just hit her with the full force of your nerd-dom, right away__. __Thanks!__

Mortified, Aura averted her gaze from Metis and Simon, but her avoidance of the scene was short-lived. In her periphery, she caught Simon extending a handshake, and it was Metis's response that snagged Aura's attention back.

"A pleasure to meet you too, Simon."

And this time, unlike all the others, her hand didn't cover her __fucking gorgeous__ smile; it was too busy finding Simon's hand, and shaking it in return.

For all her fantasies, Aura didn't imagine the fleeting glance Metis gave her; one filled with gratitude, rendered through eyes warm and serene.

And what she __couldn't__ have imagined—the realest fucking thing ever—was the joy that swelled in Aura's heart as she witnessed the two people she cared about more than anything in the world having their lives not fixed, but still very much improved.


End file.
